


Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Loki

by missdibley



Series: Wonderful Electric: Stories from Orbital 4 [4]
Category: Archipelago (2010), British Actor RPF, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Baby hulk, Existing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Orbital 4, Sci-Fi, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-10-13
Packaged: 2019-01-16 20:17:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12349926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missdibley/pseuds/missdibley
Summary: Loki looks after his goddaughter Phoebe while her parents Edward and Julie go to an important appointment.





	Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Loki

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that while this work is rated T for Teen, the series overall rating is E.

“Again!”

“Phoebe.”

“Again?”

“Feefee.”

“But!”

“Fee.”

“Uncky.”

“Oh…”

“Pease?”

Loki was a warrior. He had encountered, fought, and beaten scores of enemies (and the occasional ally) using fists, blades, guns, seidr, or any combination of these things. And while it had been ages, many lifetimes over, since he had waged war, he was still powerful. He was Loki. He was a god.

A god on the verge of surrendering to the whims of a little girl.

The girl in question was Phoebe Julia Knighton, only daughter of Edward and Julie Knighton of Orbital 4, a space station that circled what remained of the planet formerly known as Earth. Dressed for bed in footie pajamas, she sat on the floor at his feet, smiling at her godfather.

Loki knew that look. It was Phoebe’s trademark expression that said, quite plainly, “I’m going to sit here with my big brown eyes and my messy black curls and my round pink cheeks and my chubby hands clutching the stuffed eight-legged horse you gave me when I was born and I will wait until you do what I am very nicely asking you to do.”

He sighed. “Yes.” He sighed again. “Of course.”

Phoebe got to her feet, using the hand that wasn’t holding Sleipnir to push herself up. Grabbing the hem of Loki’s cape, she tugged it, just a little bit. Loki threw himself dramatically to one side, as though he had just been tossed. He was quite careful not to drag her with him. When she pulled the other way, he repeated the gesture, careening in the other direction.

Phoebe laughed hysterically, her eyes merry and bright as she flung Loki, back and forth, and back and forth, until she dropped the corner of the cape. At which point, Loki fell down and lay flat on his back.

Phoebe toddled over and made herself at home on his stomach. Utterly pleased with herself, she clapped her hands. “Puny god,” she chirped. “Puny god!” But as she was 14 months old, it came out like so: “Poo knee gah! Poo knee gah!”

Loki merely groaned.

But when Phoebe beamed at him, he was powerless to feel anything but warmth and love. He would give her anything she asked for. Anything except, perhaps…

“Again?”

That.

Phoebe patted him gently, and batted her eyelashes at him. “Pease?”

Loki was about to sob and beg for reprieve when the doors slid open to admit Edward and Julie into their own home.

“Ma!” Phoebe, still sitting on Loki, slammed her little hand on his chest in her excitement. “Mama mama mama mama.” She scrambled off Loki and made her way across the room.

Julie picked up her daughter for a hug, pressing kisses to Phoebe’s face. “Hello, love.”

Edward looked at his two girls, two identical sets of black curls and dark eyes and rosy cheeks, and they smiled back at him. He brushed a hand over the top of Phoebe’s head, then grinned at Loki. “Need a hand, Loki?”

Loki ignored the offer, instead glaring at Edward as he stood up on his own. “I thought you said she’d grown out of that.”

“Oh. Do you mean…?” Edward gave his daughter a sly look. “Baby Hulk?”

“Huck! Huck! Huck!” Phoebe made a fist and drummed it against Julie’s shoulder. “Huck math!”

Loki arched an eyebrow at Phoebe, which only made her laugh.

Julie could barely suppress a grin when she caught Loki scowling. “Oh, Loki. She’ll grow out of it.” She looked back at Phoebe. “You will, won’t you, love?”

Phoebe shook her head.

Edward sighed. “Say goodnight to Uncle Loki.”

Phoebe held her arms out to Loki, leaning to him. He accepted her into his embrace, crossing his arms under her bottom as she sat up and regarded him.

“Good night, Phoebe,” he said sternly.

“‘Night, Uncky,” she replied, sighing with contentment. “Love you.” She reached up to cling to him around his neck.

“Love you, too.” Loki shut his eyes and pressed his lips to the top of her head, for a moment, savoring the warmth of her and her scent.

And then he felt a little hand grabbing at the tip of his nose, fingers exploring up and into his nostrils. Loki snorted, and Phoebe laughed again.

“Oh Phoebe,” said Edward. “C’mere.” He accepted his baby back from Loki. “Good night, Loki. And thanks again.”

Julie smiled when she observed Loki rubbing his nose. “Don’t worry, I don’t think she did any permanent damage.” She smirked. “You are still very handsome.”

Loki rolled his eyes. “Aren’t you droll this evening, Miss Julie.”

“I just feel good,” she replied, stifling a yawn.

“Is everything alright?” Loki peered at her face, observing that her eyes were as merry as ever, and that the freckled apples of her cheeks were their usual rosy hue. “This is the third time in a fortnight you’ve asked me to look after Miss Phoebe.”

“Oh.” Julie faltered. “Gosh, I’m sorry, Loki. I didn’t think… I mean, it’s only been an hour or so each time but… and you’ve got Hannah at home.”

Loki took her hand and squeezed it. “I am not complaining. And Hannah doesn’t tend to miss me, as my visits have coincided with her evening naps.”

“Thank goodness,” said Julie earnestly. “But that reminds me, I have something for her. Be right back.” She dashed into the kitchen, coming back moments later with a covered dish.

“Another apple pie?” Loki eyed the dish as Julie handed it to him.

Julie shook her head. “Baked brie topped with pear slices. Henry helped me with the recipe.” When Loki wrinkled her nose, she scoffed. “You object?”

“I’m not sure that such an exotic cheese will be agreeable to Hannah’s constitution,” Loki sniffed.

“She’ll be fine, Loki.”

“And you still haven’t answered my question, love,” said Loki, tartly. “Is everything alright? Is young Mr. Knighton still being a good husband and father?”

“Of course he is.”

“So the frequent need for my services these last two weeks…”

“Nothing to concern yourself with, Loki.”

“But you don’t deny something is going on?”

Julie’s eyes darted to the side briefly. She said nothing.

“Interesting.” Loki made a small bow, kissing the top of Julie’s head as he did. “I’ll find out soon enough.”

“No you won’t,” insisted Julie.

He smiled at her indulgently. “You know as well as I know that I have my ways.”

“Loki, I thought you said you’d given up on the hacking.” Julie opened the door for him, rolling her eyes as he swept out into the corridor.

Loki did his best to look innocent. “Julie. I would never do something so obvious as hack into the station’s systems and look for your and Edward’s exit and entry records on the dates and times when I’ve been engaged to look after your child.”

“No,” said Julie with a frown. “Of course not.”

“Good night, Miss Julie.”

Julie stepped into the corridor and kissed his cheek. “Good night from me.” She kissed his cheek again. “Edward.” One more kiss. “And Baby Hulk.”

Loki groaned, shook his head, and departed.

Julie walked through the apartment, neatening already tidy piles of books and toys around the living room. In the kitchen, Phoebe’s favorite plate and spoon were freshly washed and laid out to dry on a tea towel. The basket of clean laundry sitting at the end of the couch could wait until morning to be folded and put away.

While she brushed her teeth, Julie listened to Edward and Phoebe in the nursery. His voice was low and soft, a steady drone as he read to his daughter. Phoebe’s happy chatter became slower and quieter, indicating that she was falling asleep.

Julie kept the lights off in the bedroom off as she changed into a nightgown. She lingered by the windows, watching evening come to Orbital 4.

The streetlights that traced the paths surrounding their apartment complex were slowly getting brighter. Atmospheric generators used water vapor and a few non-toxic chemicals to create wispy clouds that hung over the orchard. Just beyond she saw the projection of a copper colored moon. The glass dome that enclosed the top of Orbital 4 became less opaque, revealing space that was perpetually dark and forever lit with stars.

“Jules?”

She turned around to find Edward standing there, one leg kneeling on the bed. He was bare-chested, dressed only in a pair of loose trousers made from the same fabric of Julie’s nightgown.

“Is it time?” Julie made her way slowly to the bedside, where she watched Edward pull the covers down for her. When she crawled in, he was quick to follow.

“Time for what, love?” Edward chuckled when Julie pushed him onto his back, then hummed with satisfaction when she curled up next to him.

“Miriam said we were ready.” Her eyes flitted up to meet his gaze. “You’re ready.”

Edward nodded.

“Are you nervous?”

He bit his lip. “I shouldn’t be.”

“Why not?” Julie slipped a hand down to his hip, holding him close.

“Well, we’ve done this before,” replied Edward.

“Made love.” Julie smiled. “Had a baby.”

“That’s right.” He cupped her face with one of his hands.

“So we’re going to try again.”

“Yes,” Edward agreed. “Only this time, we’re doing it the old fashioned way.”

“The  _new_  old fashioned way,” Julie said seriously. “Thanks to Miriam.”

“How does it feel to be the first woman to become pregnant on Orbital 4 through intercourse with her husband?”

“Ed. Please.” Julie arched an eyebrow. “Can we find a more poetic way to put it?”

“I suppose, but how do we poetically describe Miriam’s procedures that, erm, reprogrammed me. Enhanced me so…”

“I can get pregnant from what we do in the privacy of our own home?”

“Or under the apple trees, if you would have listened to me on the way back from Miriam’s laboratory tonight,” Edward growled playfully.

“No trip to the medical center,” said Julie dreamily. “No stirrups or turkey baster…”

“What did you say about finding a more poetic way?”

“Hush, love.” Julie kisses his shoulder.

They lay there in the dark, savoring the quiet and the possibility of what the future could mean, for them and for everyone else on their little spinning station. Julie released her hold on Edward’s hip, moving her hand so it rested gently on his stomach. When she brushed her fingers through the sparse trail of hair below his navel, he shivered.

“Ask me again,” she whispered.

Ed cleared his throat. “How does it feel to be the first woman to become pregnant on Orbital 4 through intercourse with her husband?”

“I don’t know,” replied Julie. “It hasn’t happened yet.”

He kissed her, tenderly, on the lips. “Julie.”

“Yes, Edward?”

“Let’s have a baby,” he murmured.

“Yes,” she said. “Let’s.”

**Author's Note:**

> Other stories from the Companions are linked here: <http://latestarter58.tumblr.com/the%20companions>


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